A couple who appeared on national TV to highlight their bedroom tax plight say they have been overwhelmed by the public response.

ITV News interviewed Lisa and Brett, who said they would be unfairly hit by the new tax. Lisa has cerebral palsy while Brett is her partner as well as her full-time carer and sleeps in the second bedroom 90% of the time.

Come April, they will have to pay £80 a month for the second room as, under the new rules, they will only be entitled to one bedroom as a couple. 

Lisa and Brett told ITV: “We have been overwhelmed by the messages of support from the public and would like to thank everyone. We are really touched that people have offered to pay from their own pockets the (money) we need to cover the extra costs of the bedroom tax, so we can stay in our home.”

However, the couple said they can’t accept the money.

“Giving us money won’t solve the problem long term for us, nor for the many thousands of people in similar situations to ours, so we are going to turn their generous offers down,” the couple said in a letter. “Tens of thousands more disabled people across the country are in exactly the same situation as us and will be hit by the bedroom tax. The only real way we can change things for them and us is to urge the Government to think again about how the bedroom tax will impact on people like us.”